Never underestimate the power of gold. Did you really think the studios would let the films they vigorously campaigned for go unappreciated at this year's Academy Awards? Not a chance with a year like 2007.
Not since 1994, when "Forrest Gump," "Pulp Fiction" and "The Shawshank Redemption" were nominated, has a year boasted so much talent.
A few weeks ago, I launched a contest to see if students and faculty had what it took to beat me at the Oscars. If you pick more winners than I do, you win a gift certificate to Videos, Movies and More down the road at 3125 Poplar Ave. If there is more than one, a winner will be chosen at random. I chose the top eight categories because, for the first time in recent memory, they truly represent the best of filmmaking for 2007.
Best Supporting Actor
Hal Holbrook - "Into the Wild"
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - "Charlie Wilson's War"
Tom Wilkinson - "Michael Clayton"
Casey Affleck - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem - "No Country for Old Men"
Javier Bardem deserves the win for this role and performance that still chills months later. Normally, I sympathize with the villain and have a secret wish that they, not the good guys, win in the end. But with Bardem's portrayal of a man with nothing but pure, black, evil blood I wanted nothing but this man dead in the ground. Nothing, not even a sympathy vote for the older Holbrook, can take the gold from Bardem's hand.
Best Supporting Actress
Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"
Saoirse Ronan - "Atonement"
Ruby Dee - "American Gangster"
Cate Blanchett - "I'm Not There"
Amy Ryan - "Gone Baby Gone"
In this five-woman race, Ronan has no chance. This newcomer shows so much talent that the Academy knows they will see her again. Dee's chance lies in her age and long career, not her hammy performance. She had one scene that could be construed as memorable, but its poor staging was indicative of the film's shortcomings.
Entertainment Weekly, practically a bookmaker's guide to the race, gave Swinton their vote because it is the only chance "Clayton" could win anything. But really, it's between Cate Blanchett and Amy Ryan. I thought Blanchett as Bob Dylan was great for an experimental film, but that's why we have The Independent Spirit Awards.
Hands down, the best performance of a supporting actress last year was Ryan. I didn't like the movie, but I am a long time fan of the series, written by Dennis Lehane, and felt director Ben Affleck had no understanding of the characters. If it hadn't been for Ryan, this film would've been ruined. As the drug-addicted wastrel whose daughter is kidnapped, Ryan turned an oft-seen character into someone truly memorable.
Best Actor
George Clooney - "Michael Clayton"
Johnny Depp - "Sweeney Todd"
Tommy Lee Jones - "In the Valley of Elah"
Viggo Mortensen - "Eastern Promises"
Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"
No one stands a chance against Lewis. Nothing can be said that hasn't been said before. This role and performance will be studied and admired for decades to come.
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Marion Cotillard - "La Vie en Rose"
Laura Linney - "The Savages"
Ellen Page - "Juno"
Julie Christie - "Away From Her"
The award will go to Christie for her role as a woman suffering from Alzheimer's. But if it were up to me, Page would win hands down for "Juno." Can you imagine any other actress as Juno? Neither can I. She is so heartbreakingly down to earth that she became a model for the youth of today.
Best Original Screenplay
Tony Gilroy - "Michael Clayton"
Tamara Jenkins - "The Savages"
Nancy Oliver "Lars and the Real Girl"
Brad Bird - "Ratatouille"
Diablo Cody - "Juno"
Cody's funny and sincere script should and will win. But if anyone has a chance of beating her, it's Gilroy for "Clayton." He wrote what our cinemas most desperately needed - a real, no frills, adult drama. I heard several people felt manipulated by the film's marketing campaign. It promised a thriller, but delivered a drama. But this is the studio's fault, not Gilroy's. If you know what you are watching, you will be amazed by the film's subtly and precision.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Hampton - "Atonement"
Sarah Polley - "Away From Her"
Ronald Harwood - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Paul Thomas Anderson - "There Will Be Blood"
Joel and Ethan Coen - "No Country For Old Men"
This is Joel and Ethan Coen's year. They will win. But as people who have read the book know, the story already had a cinematic feel, and some of the films best lines were taken straight from the book. If it were up to me, the award would go to Anderson.
In 1994, "Forrest Gump" won this award for creating the kind of film that would be revered for years to come, while barely resembling the book. Anderson pulled off the same feat with "There Will Be Blood." Based on the Upton Sinclair novel, "Oil!," Anderson simply took a few thematic elements and the main character Plainview, and wrote a brilliant film. To me, that's what this award is about. But, expect "No Country."
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson - "There Will Be Blood"
Tony Gilroy - "Michael Clayton"
Jason Reitman - "Juno"
Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Coen Brothers - "No Country for Old Men"
As strong as I feel about Anderson taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay, I feel even more strongly about a win for the Coen brothers in this category. The book had the story laid out, but only these master craftsmen had the skill to bring it to life.
Best Picture
"There Will Be Blood"
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